


Lock & Key

by the_albatross



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: AU, Drinking, F/F, Fluff, Lock & Key Party, Party, Theme Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 08:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17894786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_albatross/pseuds/the_albatross
Summary: Manila finally gives in and goes to a 'Lock and Key' party at the urging of her friend...And of course the majority of the night isn't exactly magical for her.





	Lock & Key

**Author's Note:**

> This is definitely one of my shortest stories to date but here's just a quick little fluff piece of Rajila cause I couldn't really think of a better pairing for this theme. The next story to be posted is very likely to be 'Anathema'. I still haven't decided 100% where I want the ending to go (couple vs throuple) but at least I know how I'm gonna get there. I'm gonna call it about 50-60% done right now so it'll probably be posted mid next month. After that I'm thinking I might start working on the first date (probably Shinkx) from 'The Language of Flowers'. It will be under a new title, I'm debating as to what right now. Rajalaskam is also on my list to complete. As is Biajadore, Pharon, and Phianca...and maybe a good old fashioned Biadore at some point. Or perhaps a return to Willaska...so many choices, so few ideas for them all.

This was so _stupid_!

'Stupid _and_ pathetic,' Manila reminded herself as she stood in line for the entrance to the ridiculous 'Lock & Key' party her best friend convinced her to attend for once.

In all fairness though, if it hadn't been for one of their monthly parties then Carmen probably never would have met her current girlfriend. She had been just as reluctant as Manila to drag herself out to one of these singles events but after her fourth visit she finally hit it off with someone and they'd been inseparable ever since. This had been well over half a year ago and now every month Carmen would offer to forward Manila her emailed invitation so that she might go and meet someone too. It wasn't that Manila was unhappy being single, sure it might get lonely every now and again, but she was fine on her own. She didn't need a partner to feel content with her life but deep down she had to admit that she did like the idea of having someone to come home to at the end of the day. To not wonder if her latest blind date would turn into another cringe-worthy horror story or simply just end in a one night stand. After all, it couldn't hurt to attend a singles mixer just to say she tried.

But a 'Lock & Key' party though?

Kind of tacky in her opinion.

At first Manila wasn't even entirely sure what that title had meant but Carmen was more than happy to explain; "Everyone wears a lock or a key on their bracelet and then you have to find who it matches to!"

"But how do they even figure that out?" Manila asked skeptically. "Do you fill out a survey or something and they pair you off with the closest match?"

"No, honey," Carmen stated patiently, "The point of the party is to _talk_ to people, see who grabs your interest...and if you feel like there's a connection then you ask them to try their key...or if you could try yours."

Manila let out a small noise of doubt as she mused over the premise of the party. It still seemed highly suspect and unlikely to work. Unconvinced, she decided to ask, "Well how do they pick who gets a lock and who gets a key? Is it based on sexual preferences like tops and bottoms or-"

"Oh my god, no!" Carmen interjected quickly. "You just pick whichever one you wanna wear...there might be some psychological reason behind what you pick but it's entirely your choice. You simply choose what catches your eye, find someone with the opposite piece and hope that if you hit it off then they'll unlock each other. It's kinda fun."

"If you say so," Manila drew out slowly. They always did seem to have differing opinions over what 'fun' meant.

But it _had_ been awhile since Manila's last fling. What's the worst that could happen? Leaving alone at the end of the night? Wasn't anything unusual about that as of late.

So after after many months of endless pestering, Manila finally agreed to take up Carmen on her proposal and soon found herself registered for the next 'Lock & Key' party. In the days leading up to the event, she tried her best to see the positive side of the situation. At the very least this particular gathering was exclusively LGTB+ so she didn't have to wonder if her sexuality would match with her potential partner, but still, with so many strangers? How could she hope to find someone and get to know them well enough in such a short amount of time? Maybe that's why it took Carmen four months...with so many options it's pretty much impossible to meet everyone in just one night.

Well, she's got three hours so she might as well make the best of it...

******

Manila had been at the party for almost 2 and half hours now and was left entirely miserable and disappointed by the night's chain of events. She was genuinely regretting ever coming here, even texting Carmen those exact thoughts more than once. The evening had started out well enough; almost immediately after picking out her lock and entering the building she found her way to the bar in order to loosen up a little. As she waited for her drink to be mixed, she starting watching the second bartender preparing another guest's drink. She wasn't sure what it was exactly but it looked interesting; a blending of yellow, orange and red layers topped off with two cherries stuck together with a toothpick. Her eyes followed the drink to its owner, partially hoping that the bartender might announce the name of the order but instead he just handed it over with a gracious smile and moved right on to the next customer.

A well manicured hand slid over a few singles after grabbing the glass and Manila felt her gaze drawing upwards to see who would have possibly ordered such a flamboyant drink. Her breath hitched in her throat as she caught sight of an absolutely stunning older woman who seemed remarkably out of place in a situation such as this. Not that her age should have excluded her; there were certainly a few other party-goers who were older, but Manila wondered how this beautiful woman could have any trouble finding a steady partner. Just from where she stood, she could see this fascinating woman's eyes shining with amusement and her charming smile alone would be enough to catch anyone's attention. But then all too quickly she had disappeared into the crowd and Manila's own server alerted her to the now prepared order.

Shooting her a grateful smile and placing her own tip on the counter top, Manila slunk away from the bar and into the crowd opposite the direction of the woman she had seen across the ways. This place was so huge, covering at least four rooms that Manila knew of, so it was unlikely she'd see that stranger again...but a small part of her hoped that she might...

Shaking her head, she told herself she was being childish and should focus on meeting the people currently around her. Deciding to try and join a group of people close to her own age, she made her way to the first cluster she found and casually worked her way into the conversation. This pattern would reappear for most of the night; Manila finding a new group of people, chatting them up only to find she has no connection with any of the women in them and then excusing herself to try another option.

By the end of the first hour it was becoming incredibly frustrating. What was wrong with her that she couldn't click with just one person here?

It certainly didn't help when she spotted that mystery woman again. She was tucked away on one of the plush couches and unsurprisingly it was surrounded by a number of younger, intrigued women. It was very reminiscent of goddess worship the way they flocked to her and kept her entertained with laughter and drinks. Manila felt oddly jealous that she wasn't the one to make this woman laugh but she didn't dare try approaching her, at least not yet. Her aura almost made her seem untouchable and that particular rejection wasn't one Manila felt she could handle at the moment.

She hadn't realized how long she'd been staring until the woman's eyes began to draw upwards. Hurriedly Manila cast her gaze towards one of her current conversation partners and kept it there with every ounce of strength she had. But despite the feigned interest, she just couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched by someone across the room. She hoped, almost ached that it would be that woman, but when she chanced to look over again that thought was quickly extinguished. She was still on the couch but her attention was on another pair of chattering women and certainly not her.

Fighting back a small sigh, Manila excused herself once more and left for another room. As she crossed the floor, again she felt someone's sight following her but mostly she just noticed how everyone was starting to pair off. There were still pockets of three or more but the vast majority of what she saw were now couples instead of small groups. Walking alone just made her feel like she was undesirable and unworthy to find a partner of her own.

By the second hour hardly any singles remained to be seen and quite a few couples were beginning to leave. She hadn't given up quite yet but she felt very close to it. The option pool was markedly shallower and soon the party would be ending as well. Seems she wasn't meant to meet someone tonight...

As she walked back towards the main bar she felt a small glimmer of hope as she spotted her little crush again. To Manila's shock she was still here and didn't seem to be talking with anyone in particular; just a few women that all seemed to be paired with someone else. Quickly downing the last of her drink, Manila told herself that now was her chance; it couldn't hurt to just try talking to her.

Yet as she wove her way through the crowd, her heart sank once she spotted the woman using her key on someone else's lock. It was petty but she prayed the key either wouldn't fit or wouldn't turn yet all too quickly the clasp fell open in the woman's hands. While she handed the bracelet back to the brightly grinning young woman, Manila couldn't stop herself from thinking bitterly, 'Lucky bitch.'

She turned away and walked straight to the bar to order something strong to drown her sorrows with. Setting the tip down on the counter, she decided to sequester herself to the furthest room in the back and drink in peace for just a few minutes to get her head back together. As she left she could have sworn she felt someone's fingers brushing against her wrist but it stopped short the second it made contact with the lock bracelet she still had on.

Ignoring whatever it was, Manila maneuvered her way towards one of the empty couches and sat down in a huff. This had all been so stupid! So pointless!

Why did she agree to even come to this thing?

Now she just felt more alone than ever!

She sipped her drink in solitude, not even looking at the happy potential couples still lingering around her as she calculated how much longer she would try to stay before calling it a night. She knew there were still a few other single women wandering around but should she even try with any of them? At this point it probably wouldn't be anything more than a one night fling but maybe that wouldn't be so bad right now...At least she wouldn't be going home by herself...

Her thoughts were exploring that possibility when a sudden shift in weight on the cushions snapped her attention back to reality. Her heart was pounding in her ears so much that she almost didn't hear the slightly teasing statement of, "You walk fast, girl! Almost lost you in the crowd again."

"Um...what?"

'Wow.' Manila thought with an internal cringe. ' _That_ was eloquent.'

Unphased or perhaps not even noticing the awkward phrasing, that same beautiful woman she spotted earlier spoke lightheartedly, "I tried to catch you as you left the bar but you were already booking it across the room. You disappeared so quickly I wasn't sure if I'd catch you before you left. Glad you didn't though. I'm Raja, by the way."

Taking the hand extended towards her, Manila felt herself close to flushing as she replied in a stunned tone, "Manila."

Mentally she was thanking the heavens her voice hadn't shook but the same couldn't be said for her trembling hand as soon as it touched Raja's. She just couldn't believe that Raja was still here, much less talking to her. She was every bit as inviting as Manila imagined her to be. So warm and open even though they didn't know each other. Just something about her drew Manila's attention solely to her. Forget everyone else in the room, all that she could focus on was this charming woman sitting next to her.

Cocking her head to side just slightly, Raja inquired sweetly, "You having fun tonight, Manila?"

Casting her eyes down for a quick second, Manila gave a her a slightly ashamed smile as she admitted, "Not...Not exactly," and held up her securely fastened bracelet in defeat.

To Manila's surprise, she could have sworn she saw a hint of a relieved smile flicker along Raja's lips she replied sheepishly, "Oh...Well...I'm right there with you."

Pulling up her own sleeve, she revealed that her key bracelet was still snugly wrapped around her wrist. Manila's eyes shot from Raja's humble smile down to her exposed arm then back again countless times. It felt like her mind was short-circuiting as she sputtered, "But-But I saw you! You were unlocking someone's-"

Raja's eye's lit up in amusement as she teased gently, "Watching me, huh?"

"Like _you_ weren't watching _me_?" Manila shot back with the faint hope that she might actually be right. Her brow arched slightly as she challenged Raja to try and deny it. But much to her relief, Raja had no intention of doing so.

"Fair..." she consented readily enough, "But no, I wasn't unlocking her bracelet so _I_ could take her home...She really hit it off with another lock and well..."

"Two locks don't make a key..." Manila finished as the revelation dawned on her. Her cheeks were definitely beginning to turn a light pink as the thought that she really might have a chance with Raja became much more prominent in her mind.

Nodding her head, the older woman confirmed, "Exactly. I just used mine so they both could get out of here quicker."

Still somewhat confused, Manila's brows knit together as she asked, "How did you know yours would fit? Just a lucky guess?"

Raja seemed stunned by the question; her eyes grew wide in surprise then quickly relaxed into an almost pitying look. Try as she might, she couldn't keep the cooing tone from her voice as she guessed, "Oh, sweetie...this is your first time here, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Manila confessed softly as she squirmed a little in place. Her fingers played with the straw in her drink as her eyes cast downwards with a sudden interest in the fabric of the couch. She was all but biting the interior of her lip in embarrassment until she heard the quiet musing of, "Thought so. Definitely would have noticed you before tonight if you'd been here before."

If she wasn't red-faced before she certainly was now but for the time being she didn't feel her heart could take the increased pace that'd result if she were to dwell on that one small compliment. Bringing focus back to her inquiry, she mentioned again, "The key?"

"Oh, right!" Raja exclaimed as she remembered where she wanted to go with her explanation. "So all of the keys here; they might look a little different from each other but they're all kind of a master key...Like that's the whole point of the party, you know? Not to be so concerned with which key amongst the dozens here is right for your lock, instead just focusing on the finding the person that you _want_ to be right. _That's_ what'll make them the perfect fit for you."

"Oh, that's actually...kind of beautiful."

"Although if you ask the manager," Raja added in with a playful jab, "She'll just say it was cheaper and safer to use the same key for every lock. Minimum loss if one gets misplaced somewhere, you know?"

Chuckling a little at the joke, Manila admitted shyly, "I think I like your reasoning better."

Raja shot her a warm smile in response as she waited for the inevitable question of, "So...you've been here before?"

There was a hint of bitterness in her tone as she revealed, "Almost a regular at this point."

"Why?" Manila asked abruptly before hurriedly backtracking, "I mean, um, not like 'What's wrong with you' but...uh, um-"

Giving a dismissive wave of her hand, Raja silenced the growing babbling with an understanding, "No, no. I know what you meant...I just...I never really seem to...'click' with anyone here, you know?"

Manila nodded her head at the statement and found herself leaning forward as Raja continued on somewhat clumsily, "Like sure, there's plenty of people I don't mind seeing here each month but there hasn't been anyone I've really... _connected_ with. Not enough to try for anything serious...It's hard trying to get to know someone in just a few hours."

"I get that..." Manila agreed as she caught Raja's flailing hand with her own.

The action caught the older woman by surprise and Manila would have bet anything that there was a trace of pink lurking beneath her subtle contouring. They both stared at their enclosed hands for a few seconds almost certain the other person could feel their racing heartbeat through that minuscule touch. But somehow each felt content that even if that were the case, they'd be completely okay with that.

Pulling away first, Manila finished her drink with one final sip and dared to propose, "Do you think maybe...you might want to try getting to know someone...outside of here?"

"Did you have anyone in mind?" Raja asked with an inviting smirk growing on her lips once more.

Taking the bait and returning the gesture, Manila offered up confidently, "I've got a few ideas...And some free time right now...If you're interested, that is."

"I most certainly am..." Raja reaffirmed. Pointing to Manila's still shackled wrist, she inquired gently, "Can I...?"

Presenting the bracelet without a moment's hesitation, Manila allowed Raja to pull her hand into her grasp and slide her key into the lock. In just a blink of the eye, the key was turned and the bracelet sprung open with a soft 'click'. A perfect fit.


End file.
